Using audio to record your interviews is easy and effective, and it gives people the chance to tell their stories through their own voices. Recording stories through audio can be carried out one-on-one, in a small group, or with a larger group of friends or family members. The choice of how many people to interview, and how, is up to you!
Tips For getting started:
Technology:
With audio recording you can use anything from a smart phone, to a high-grade recorder, to a professional audio suite. You have the option to use whatever technology is available to you!
- Use a USB microphone
USB microphones use less computer resources and record better audio than an analog microphone connected to your computer’s audio card. - Practice using the recording device
Experiment with different volume levels and different microphone placement. - Record in a quiet location
Any microphone can pick up nearby noises. Most offices and public areas have a lot of background noise that you may or may not notice. Take a second and listen. What do you hear?
Source: http://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia-recording-tips-prior.html
Interview:
Find a person you would like to interview and ask if they want to participate. Have an informal conversation with your interviewee and tell them what to expect (tell them how long the interview will take, where, and how you will be asking the questions, etc.).
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you conduct your interview:
- Relax! Remember that this interview should be fun! Also, relaxing will make your interview feel more comfortable.
- Be sure to be attentive and interested in what your interviewee is saying.
- Make sure that your audio-recorder is recording properly. You may even want to do a sound check ahead of time.
- Use a script or interview questions
- Project and enunciate
Source: http://nationaldayoflistening.org/downloads/DIY-Instruction-Guide.pdf
More Audio Recording Tips:
- Informal recordings of spontaneous stories or memories can be made at any time and may be the only opportunity to record important historical information.
- Audio recordings for slide shows and more formal interviews usually have more focused content and the opportunity for better quality recordings.
- Make recordings before a person’s memories begin to fade with age. For older persons whose memories are fading, opportunistic informal recordings are often the most productive strategy.
- Always ask permission before recording someone.
- Good practice is to record at 44.1 kHz/16 bit (CD standard). High quality MP3 files (192 kbps or higher) may be used if needed due to limitations of the recorder or storage space. Best practice is to record audio at 44.1kHz/24 bit or 96kHz/24 bit.
- Small recorders are available that are suitable for both informal and formal recordings and improved models frequently appear.
- An external cardioid condenser microphone gives much better sound quality than the microphones built into the small recorders. Position the microphone as close to the speakers as possible and facing away from sources of noise.
Source: http://archivehistory.jeksite.org/chapters/chapter6.htm
Additional Resources:
- Transom (http://transom.org) – is an online public radio community that offers extensive product and equipment reviews, as well as instruction recording guides.